Can There Be “Peace on Earth”?

One of my favorite Christmas carols—and possibly one of the most patriotic Christmas songs of all time–is “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”.  Originally written as the poem “Christmas Bells” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, it represents a combination of deep despair mixed with hope and the promise of justice.

Longfellow’s life began spiraling downward when his oldest son, Charles defied his parent’s wishes and left home to join the Union in the Civil War.

“I have tried hard to resist the temptation of going without your leave but I cannot wait any longer,” Charles wrote.  “I feel it to be my first duty to do what I can for my country and I would willingly lay down my life for it would be of any good.”

Not long after Charles left for the war, Longfellow’s beloved wife died in a tragic fire, and then soon after that Charles was severely wounded in the Battle of New Hope Church.  In the depths of sorrow and struggling to make sense of his losses, Longfellow wrote “Christmas Bells”.  You can hear the mixture of pain and anger in his words:

“And in despair I bowed my head:

‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said,

‘For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.'”

So is there such thing as peace on earth?  When I was younger I naively believed that peace could exist if only everyone would lay down their weapons–until I came to the realization that as long as Man is imperfect and has hate in his heart, perfect peace can never be.  Unfortunately, this hatred has existed since the beginning of time and even if everyone did “lay down their weapons,” Man would still use sticks and rocks and his bare hands to kill.

And yet…

Despite how hopeless life can sometimes seem to be, and despite the tragedies Longfellow faced, his poem Christmas Bells ends with this beautiful realization:

“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

‘God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men.’”

I believe “peace on earth” begins with my individual relationship with God.  Trying to eliminate Him from our lives is the opposite of peace.

Prayers for our nation, and prayers for anyone who is struggling or lost in despair.  I hope you will find the true peace you’re searching for that can only come from God.

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along the unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:

‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said,

‘For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.’
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

‘God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men.’
Till, ringing singing, on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,

Of peace on earth, good will to men!”